Tout de Moi (EN)
by Tris Pond
Summary: Ladybug discovers that Chat Noir will spend Christmas alone. So she decides to surprise him by keeping him company the whole night. She knows their identities might be revealed, but didn't expect to know the face behind the mask so well. [Ladynoir & Adrinette]. No spoilers for season 2.
1. What About Now

Notes: This was written one year ago, before the second season. Story corrected by Kasienda.

* * *

 _What if you're making me all that I was meant to be? What if our love never went away? What if it's lost behind words we could never find? Baby, before it's too late, what about now? Now that we're here, now that we've come this far, just hold on. There is nothing to fear, for I am right beside you, for all my life, I am yours._

 _(What About Now – Chris Daughtry)_

 **December 21, 11 PM**

Ladybug and Chat had defeated one more akumatized victim, but this time they had managed to do it faster than normal. This gave them some time before they transformed back, giving them the rare opportunity to talk. They sat together on the top of a building, with his head laid on the ground and his legs on hers. He wanted to lay his head on her lap, but he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't let him.

"Where are you going to spend Christmas, kitty?" Ladybug asked curiously. Normally, she preferred to avoid this type of conversation so as to not risk Chat Noir discovering her identity or her finding out his, but she was relaxed now.

Adrien sighed. He didn't want to think about it. They were mere days away from the holiday. It would be the second Christmas he would spend without his mother. And even though the first one ended up okay, it wasn't an experience he wanted to repeat. To make matters worse, his father had an unavoidable business trip. Even Natalie was going to join him.

"At home. Alone," he confessed. He had dismissed his driver for the holiday, because it wouldn't make sense to ask the man to be away from his own family and be miserable like himself.

Ladybug felt an ache in her heart. Her crime fighting partner didn't deserve to be alone on that day. Christmas was a time to be spent with the people whom you loved. She didn't like the melancholic expression that his shone from his eyes, so different from the usual Chat Noir.

"Now, you look like an abandoned kitty," she teased, without knowing what to say. She didn't know how to comfort him, even though she wanted to.

"I thought the expression was abandoned dog," he replied, smiling a little.

"I had to make some alterations," she replied, feeling something warm up inside her with Chat Noir's smile. She definitely preferred him smiling than sad.

"But I'm not an abandoned cat, because I belong to my lady," he told her, his normal carefree tone back in his voice.

Ladybug rolled her eyes, but deep down she enjoyed his flirting. In the year that she worked with Chat Noir, she had grown accustomed to his unique sense of humor and caught herself anticipating his next pun. Most of them were ridiculous. And stupidly funny.

"And what about you, my lady?" he asked, catching her hands. She pulled back and looked curiously at him. "Where are you going to spend Christmas?" he asked. Even though the holiday wasn't a topic he enjoyed very much, Adrien would grab the opportunity to ask a little about the heroine's personal life.

She remained firm on hiding their identities from one another and he couldn't find out much about her. Basically, he just knew that they were the same age and that she held a passion for a boy that had no idea she fancied him – it made him upset every time he thought about it – and for that reason, no, she couldn't be with the cat hero. He tried to move on. He had already told her that he was interested in Marinette, though he had never revealed her name, of course.

Sometimes though, she seemed to be giving up this boy and the idea of getting closer to him. That made him still have some hope for a relationship with Ladybug. However, he wasn't certain of anything. Girls were complicated.

"I am going to spend it with my parents," she confided. "The same tradition of always."

Interesting, he thought. So, she still had two parents and they probably were still together.

"What do you like to do on Christmas?" he asked, lifting his back from the ground so he could face her better.

Ladybug got pensive, considering his question. Chat Noir thought she looked beautiful like this, even more so than normal. Her eyes looked like they were shining with the thoughts that went through her mind and her lips curled up into a small smiling. Once again, he wondered what kissing her would be like.

"I don't think there's something that I like more, specifically. I like the whole holiday. It's good to see how animated people get before the fest, everyone seems infected with so much positive energy. On this occasion, I remember all the good things in my life, pray, and eat dinner with my family. The food is always delicious," she told him. Her parents were the owners of a bakery, so food of high quality was never missing. There was always some new recipe to try, too.

Chat Noir smiled. He loved to see how excited Ladybug got when she talked about something she liked. The image that she created of Christmas was lovely and he could see how she loved the day.

"Are you sure you aren't talking about New Year's Eve?" he teased.

"You are a mean person," she said, without malice in her words.

"It's just my feline nature," Chat said, smiling blatantly. She pushed him lightly. He got serious again. "I don't have Christmas traditions anymore. I used to celebrate with someone..." he stopped, immensely sad as remembered his mother. "But she is not around anymore".

"I'm sorry," Ladybug told him, her voice worried. Here she was making Chat Noir sad again, only few minutes after. How could she hurt him so much?

"It's alright," he said, trying to smile. It wasn't her fault and there was nothing that she could do.

Ladybug acted on instinct; she pulled him into a hug. He relaxed against her body after a few seconds of shock and let her rub his back in slow soothing circles. He held her close, as if afraid that she would disappear. He felt so safe and comfortable there.

Unfortunately, Chat's ring chirped, bringing them back to reality. It was time to go or his identity would be revealed.

"My lady… I can…" he started to say, pushing away from Ladybug with a broken heart. He never wanted so bad to stay right there.

"No, Chat Noir, we will talk later," she interrupted, knowing what he would say. "It's safer that way," she told quieter. Not for the first time, she hated herself for always stop him from revealing his own identity. She was curious to know who he was and, more than that, wanted to know him entirely. She shook her head, watching him leave. She was feeling this only because this night was more emotional than most. They couldn't know who each other were.

…

 **December 22, 9 AM**

Marinette shifted on the chair, restless. She knew she should be paying attention to the class, however, every time she tried to focus, she ended up remembering Chat Noir's expression as he talked about Christmas. She never liked seeing him like that, and she didn't understand why it affected her so much. She knew that she worried about him since they were friends, but it was like his sadness pained her beyond that. It wasn't just compassion. The pain in his eyes seemed to be imprinted in her mind. She was anguished to know that he was down and wanted to do something, anything, to help him come back to be the same irritating cat as usual. And…

"Earth to Marinette!" Alya called, passing her hand in front of the friend's face to wake her up. "It's already break," told her, worried. She was with Nino and Adrien.

"It looks like everyone is dispersed today," Nino said, amused.

"What do you mean by that?" Marinette asked without understanding.

"Adrien is not very normal today," Nino commented, as if the boy couldn't hear him. Adrien threw a murderous look towards him.

"Are you okay?" Marinette asked with concern. Adrien smiled to her.

"I'm fine, Marinette, thanks for asking," he replied.

She smiled back at him, feeling relaxed. One year ago, she would already be freaking out being so close to him. She still thought he was amazing, but slowly she had gotten used to his constant presence, especially because Alya forced them to interact so many times. Right now, she could state without doubt that they were good friends, having gotten to know each other better and talking more often. But, deep down, she still wanted something more. She never had stopped thinking of him as the perfect boyfriend.

"Let's go," Marinette said and they left the class, making her forget about her earlier thoughts regarding a certain cat.

…

 **December 22, Midday**

"Adrien!" shouted Chloe with her demanding voice. "Do you want to spend Christmas with me? My dad is throwing a party at the hotel, of course," she said, stealing the entire class' attention.

Adrien moved in his seat. He wouldn't accept the girl's invitation, but he didn't want to reject her in front of the entire class either.

"Thanks for the invitation Chloe, but unfortunately, I already have plans with my dad," he explained.

She frowned.

"I thought that he was travelling," she commented.

"He cancelled the trip," answered the boy, irritated. He hated to lie, but he didn't have another choice. "I'm sorry," he forced the words to come out. As a matter of fact, he would rather spend Christmas alone than with Chloe. She was impossible. How had he tolerated her all this time?

"If anything changes, you are welcome show up," said the blonde.

Marinette and Alya exchanged a silent look. Chloe would really never give up and it was getting obvious that she would never have a chance with Adrien. He was avoiding her wherever it was possible. He just was too polite to reject her directly.

...

 **December 22, 4 PM**

For the rest of the day, Marinette was able to push the memory of Chat Noir to the back of her mind. Instead, she focused on her classes and friends. However, as soon as she got back to her room she was unable to stop her thoughts going to him.

"Tikki, what do I do?" she questioned to her kwami.

"About what?"

"Chat Noir…"

"You don't have to do anything, Marinette," said Tikki warmly. Her friend had a good heart, always thinking of helping the others, even though she was more distracted by Chat's problem than usual.

"I know, but… I can't let Chat Noir spend Christmas alone. He always saves Paris. And me… he doesn't deserves this," she concluded, feeling down. She hated when something sad happened to someone who didn't deserve it. "He shouldn't be alone on this day."

"The only thing that could change it, is if he had company, Marinette," Tikki said, unpretentiously. She regretted her words when she saw she had given an idea to the teenager.

"That's it! I'm going to provide him with some company," she exclaimed.

"But you have to spend Christmas with your family," the kwami reminded her anxiously.

"If I can be Ladybug and have a normal life, I can spend Christmas with my family and Chat Noir too," she said decided. She was going to do it. She just wasn't sure how yet.

…

 **December 23, 9 AM**

Alya and Marinette chatted amicably during the break. This time, the boys were absent since they were involved in some sort of discussion with the other boys in the class.

Marinette took the opportunity to mention what she had been thinking about all day. She hoped that everything would work out.

"Alya, I need to ask you a favor," Marinette began timidly. She didn't know if it was a good idea, but it was the only idea she had.

"Shoot, girl," Alya said, her tone relaxed.

"If my parents ask… can you say that I spent Christmas evening with you?" Marinette rambled quickly worrying about how the request sounded.

Alya looked at her shocked. She was used to the constant disappearances of her friend and on more than one occasion she had already lied for her, because Alya trusted her and knew she wouldn't be looking for trouble. She was curious to know what Marinette did in those hours, however, had accepted that she wouldn't know. But now, she was worried; where would Marinette go in the middle of the holiday? What could be so important that would interfere even with Christmas?

"What you will be doing?" Alya asked suspiciously.

"Nothing bad, I swear…" Marinette began, but then hesitated. "It's just that there is something I need to do and my parents wouldn't understand."

"Let me guess. You can't tell me either," Alya said. Marinette nodded. "I don't know, girl…" Alya replied. Her first instinct was to help her friend, however, she didn't know if that was something that would be good for her. It all sounded very strange.

"Please," Marinette begged, feeling desperate. She needed to do this. She couldn't stand the idea of leaving Chat Noir alone on Christmas.

"Okay," Alya finally conceded. Marinette's lips split into a big smile.

...

 **December 23, 1 PM**

Adrien watched Marinette with a curious smile as she ran from one place to another inside the shop. Only she would realize at the last minute that Christmas was only two days away and she hadn't brought a lot of gifts yet. She had panicked when their friends were talking about it and noticed the amount of things she still needed to do. Without even thinking about what he was doing, Adrien had offered to go with her. Seeing her grateful smile, he didn't regret it.

Together, they entered his limousine and sat down. They didn't talk much, but Marinette sighed a little, listening to the music. Her favorites songs were the same as his apparently and were playing in the car. She seemed ashamed, blushing a little and explained that she didn't mean to, but when he sang along with her, they both had fun. He felt happy that she was comfortable enough around him now to show that side of herself.

Adrien always liked Marinette because she always seemed sympathetic and everyone in the class - except for Chloe and Sabrina - adored her. But after the day they met, she always acted strangely around him. She always seemed uncomfortable around him. She always struggled with forming words and sentences in front of him.

But slowly, she changed, probably losing her shyness by getting to know him better. He saw interesting sides of her: her dedication and talents as stylist were phenomenal, she was very responsible, worried about her friends, and didn't accept it when someone did something wrong. Also, she was beautiful. Maybe not as beautiful as Ladybug, but then, nobody was. Adrien wondered how he had never noticed those things before.

She was always in a good mood, ready to help whoever needed it. She radiated her own light. Just by spending time next to her, Adrien found himself happy. He always ended up laughing when she beat him in videogames they played or when they just hung out with Nino and Alya.

Of course, he didn't love Marinette. No, he absolutely wasn't in love with her. His heart didn't have space for anyone except Ladybug. Yet, he had to admit that he was attracted to her and sometimes, many times, he had imagined what would be like to be with her. However, that thought was always interrupted by thoughts of his Lady, and he felt guilt. He wouldn't betray Ladybug like that.

He had already told Ladybug about Marinette, explaining how she was the best friend of his best friend's girlfriend. But he also said that he didn't know her that well and would remain faithful to her, Ladybug, because he also liked her. In a heartbreaking moment, the heroine had rolled her eyes at his confession. Still, he had meant it. He wanted to be with Ladybug above all things. But…

This was one of the rare - or maybe not - moments that Adrien asked himself if he would have been with Marinette if he hadn't ever met Ladybug. He smiled even more as he watched her drop an arm full of products and lower her head in shame. He moved to her side and helped her to put it back, accidently touching her arm and he jerked away as if burned. The spark, the sensation he felt should only happen with Ladybug. It was wrong that a simples touch from Marinette provoked such reaction in him. Why did he feel so alive suddenly?

"Th… thank you," Marinette said, blushing. Adrien cursed himself for making her go back to this nervous state. She probably thought he was angry with her. "I… am already done, I mean, just a few… things. Presents, I mean. You can go, if you want," she said.

"No, I'll wait for you," he said easily. "Do you want me to look for something?"

Marinette nodded after thinking for a minute. She still was having trouble stringing two thoughts together. Adrien almost never touched her, so she hadn't't got used to it. Strangely, her mind thought about Chat Noir's smile when they separated.

"I still need to buy something for Nino. Do you know what he wants?

Adrien shook his head, embarrassed. This whole gift giving thing was kind of new to him. All the gifts that he gave before were boring, from expensive shops, and designed to impress. He didn't know how to give something special or personal. He didn't understand how to guess what a person wanted.

"I also need to buy a present for him. We can go after this store," he suggested.

"Okay," she answered smiling.

…

 **December 23, 5 PM**

When Marinette's dad left to look something in the barkery, Marinette moved close to her mother, each step feeling like torture.

"Mom, I need to ask you something. I know you won't like it, but I want to spend the end of Christmas night with Alya," she said nervous.

"On Christmas night, Marinette? What for?" Sabrine asked, sadness oozing from her voice. She had already prepared everything and wanted her daughter here, however, she knew that if the teenager was asking she would have a reason. Her daughter was too considerate to simply abandon her family on a holiday without good reason.

"It's just that Alya and Nino fought," Marinette explained. "And, well, Alya had already planned on spending Christmas with him, so she had organized everything. And now she is sad because he won't spend Christmas with her anymore and everything will just remind her of that," she finished, feeling guilty for lying to her mother. She avoided doing it whenever possible - but her double life didn't allow her to be honest much of the time.

"Alright. But let's starting the commemoration earlier this year," her mother said. Marinette kissed her cheek in gratitude and went back to her room.

...

 **December 24, 6 AM**

Hawk Moth had created another villain and Chat Noir and Ladybug worked together to prevent Paris' destruction. It took a while to defeat the akumatized victim, but they made it.

Everything would have been fine if it wasn't for Christmas Eve and Ladybug's anxiety. This was the first time she saw Chat Noir since the night they talked about Christmas and she was feeling nervous.

"Are you okay?" he questioned, clearly worried. He had noticed how distracted she was during the fight.

Her earrings beeped in warning and she knew that she would have to get out of there. Great. No time for questions.

"Chat Noir, I need to talk with you later. I know tomorrow is Christmas, but I need to met with you tomorrow in the evening. It's the only time I can," she begged.

He looked at her surprised and worried. Was she alright? He would do anything to help her. But if she wasn't, she could have told him sooner. So it shouldn't be something serious, even though the request was mysterious.

"My pleasure, my lady."

Chat Noir watched her depart with a happy smile. Well, his Christmas couldn't be so bad if he would get to meet his lady. He knew that until then he would be trying to guess what his lady wanted to say.

…

 **December 24, 7 PM**

Marinette was laying in her bed thinking about Chat Noir's smile. He seemed more excited today. In an egotistical way, she felt satisfaction for being responsible for making him smile.

"Thinking about Adrien?" asked Tikki.

"What makes you say that?" Marinette responded in confusion.

"Well, you're daydreaming… it only can be because of Adrien, right?" commented Tikki.

Marinette looked at her panicked. No, Adrien was far away from her thoughts.

"Tikki, is possible to fall in love for two persons at the same time?" asked the teenager, feeling insecure.

Tikki was quiet for a moment. No matter her age, the troubles of love were still complex to her.

"I believe so… Maybe you like one of them more… But, yes, it possible to like two people at the same time," she concluded in the end. "This means that you weren't thinking about Adrien?"

Marinette shook her head.

"I was thinking about Chat Noir" she confessed guiltily. "In the last few months, I've been feeling strange around him and this week especially… all I wanted was to spend more time with him," she said. "I wanted to fight with him, hear his lame jokes, end his sorrow. I wish I could know who he is. I know he is a arrogant cat, but I trust him. He is special to me," she admitted only after realising how serious her sentiments were. She had noticed she had been more attracted to him, but refused to analyse her feelings until now. "I like him."

"You sound like you're in love with him, Marinette".

"You think?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I was already thinking this was happening anyway, but I wanted you to reach your own conclusions."

"But what about Adrien?" Marinette objected.

"You can like him too. You don't need to figure out your feelings just yet," Tikki told her, wishing she could help more.

"How can I like someone when I don't even know who he is, Tikki?" the girl asked.

"You know him. Just not his name or his face. You know a lot about him, know the way he thinks, you already work in harmony. But maybe it's the time to find out who he is." she suggested sweetly. She understood that the heroine worried about keeping her identity a secret, but at this point the kwami thought it might be doing more harm than good.

Marinette threw a started glance towards Tikki. The kwami was normally wise. Maybe she was right? Certainly, the teenager wanted to know Chat better and do normal things with him, see how he looked outside of the suit. She wanted to get close to him. He already wanted to know who she was. So, would it really be such a bad thing? How dangerous would it be reveal herself to Chat? Hawk Moth couldn't use this to his favor, right?

"Marinette! Food is ready," her mother called, interrupting the moment. She went down to eat with her family.


	2. Secrets

Sorry for the long wait. It was already written, but I decided it was better to post only after it was corrected.

* * *

Chapter two 

_And I won't let our hearts collide, until the moment's right. But I feel safe here. Lay with me, the stars watch us tonight and that's okay with me. Tell me all your secrets, till the sun comes up. Know that I will keep them. Lay my heart by your side tonight. Place my hand by your heart tonight. Feel your heart, beat as we shut our eyes (Secrets - Jacob Lee)_

 **December 25, 1 AM**

Chat Noir was already on the place when Ladybug arrived. He had gotten there earlier, too anxious to wait until the right time. Also, it wasn't like he was doing anything back at home, only watching one more episode of The Mentalist - yes, he had all the episodes downloaded.

Discreetly, Ladybug put the box with hot chocolates and a bag on the ground, hoping that Chat would be too distracted to notice.

"Good night," she greeted, getting closer to him.

He smiled openly as he saw her. How could he ever have enough of her company? Why did he always want to be near her? Why did he always get so happy? Stupid feelings.

"My lady, what did you want to talk about?" he asked worriedly, remembering that this was not some social meeting.

"Nothing. I just wanted to be with you. Merry Christmas," she smiled to Chat Noir and placed a small wrapped package in front of him. "This is your Christmas' gift," she added, when he just stared at her, blinking.

He grabbed it like it was the most precious thing in the world. He didn't know what it was yet, but it was a present from Ladybug. That fact was enough for him to love it.

Inside of the package there was two shirts and a drawing. The first shirt was an extremely elegant white long-sleeved button-up shirt with cuts obviously planned and a soft texture. It was the kind of thing he wore all the time in his photography photoshoots. He wondered for a second if she had found out who he was, however, he quickly abandoned the idea. The second shirt was black and it featured two prominent green eyes across the chest. It was even more comfortable than the first and he liked it more. Lastly, the drawing was of both of them, it wasn't exactly professionally done, but it was good enough that he could recognize them. They were together in front of the Eiffel Tower and the artist had done a good job of capturing Ladybug's exasperated expression and his cheeky smile.

"I made everything myself, so if you don't like…" Ladybug said, leaving him surprised. He had no idea that she could draw or even sew. How could she make him more in love than he already was?

"I love it," he said. He put the gifts carefully on the ground and pulled her into a hug.

Surprised, she initially stiffened, but she grew more comfortable by the second and soon enough she rested her head on Chat's shoulder, surprised by how calm she felt. He embraced her strongly, with his hand on her back, but it wasn't suffocating. She felt safe there.

He was happy too. His lady had given him precious gifts that showed that she was thinking of him. She had even let him hug her. He took a deep breath and registered her smell; it was as sweet as she was.

"Chat Noir…" Ladybug said in a warning tone when she felt his hand slip dangerously low.

"I love it when you're mad," he said, but he raised his hand.

She closed her eyes, just enjoying the sensation of Chat Noir's warm body next to hers. Ladybug asked herself one more time if his hair was as soft as it looked and, without thinking too much, she placed her hand on his hair. Slowly, she messed it up even more.

"This is not fair, Bugaboo…" Chat Noir complained, though he didn't care at all. It was so good to be close to her like this.

"I'm sorry, kitty," she replied and then added: "Would you like me to stop?" her voice had a challenging tone. This night, she would do what she wanted.

Chat Noir looked at her, shocked. He would never dream that this lady would really be so bold as this after months of rejecting him. She really thought his heart could take all the roller coaster of emotions she sent him on?

"No, my lady…" he said quietly.

He closed his eyes for a second, enjoying the sensation of having the girl threading her fingers through his hair. It was good, but not enough. He opened his eyes and stared at her, not trying to hide all the desire he felt for her. Her fingers stopped moving and she stared back at him. She looked ashamed, but didn't look away. He watched her lips for a long moment and looked at her again, to make sure she wanted it. She leaned in and he bridged the gap to finally kiss her.

Nothing in life had prepared Marinette for this moment. When Chat Noir kissed her, it seemed to awaken something in her that she hadn't even known it existed. She had already hooked up with a few boys, but none of them had been serious. She really hadn't felt anything for any of them. Now, it was different. She wanted Chat Noir so much, she couldn't even understand how she wanted him so badly. The kiss made her dreams come true. She was in heaven and her heart pounded, threatening to explode.

Adrien barely believed he was kissing Ladybug. And she was kissing him back, she seemed as involved as he was. He had never felt anything as good as now. They moved against one another in harmony, like they had done this before. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing. He reciprocated by kissing her lips softly.

Marinette was surprised by his actions and even more shocked that she liked it. She moaned and pulled him closer.

The kiss went on until they had to break apart to gasp for air. When they separated, Ladybug faced Chat Noir's eyes, struck by how intense they were. It felt like they were saying a million of things. She felt his desire, affection, and trust. She smiled, unable to stop herself. She was so happy.

"Chat…" she started to talk then stopped. She wanted to say something, but didn't know what.

"You are amazing, my lady" he said, understanding. He was smiling too. "I have been waiting a long time for this," he confessed.

"Just don't get cocky right now," she said.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he blinked at her.

A cold breeze passed by them making Ladybug shake with the sudden chill, reminding her of the others things she had bought.

She stood and stepped back to retrieve her bag and removed two blankets and two small pillows.

"What is this, Bugaboo?" Chat asked confused.

"You don't to spend the rest of the night standing, do you? Come help me?" she asked, throwing the pillows to him. He caught them easily, and waited for her to spread the blanket across the ground, close to the wall that led to the stairs. She extended her hand and he delivered the objects. "Thank you," she said.

"What do you mean by the rest of the night?" he asked.

"It looks like you're stuck with me until Christmas is over," she informed and pointed at the blanket showing that he should sit there. He did so, feeling the cold wall against the warmed blanket.

She went to her bag again and grabbed the cups of hot chocolate, before settling next to chat with her back to the wall.

"It might be a little cold," she commented, feeling a bit guilty. She had planned to give to him sooner, yet she had been distracted.

"Don't worry, I bet it's perfect," he reassured. Honestly, he didn't care if it was cold or not. This night everything felt perfect. "How did you know I like milk?" he asked, ironically.

"Just a guess, kitty," she laughed.

Chat held the hot chocolate with one hand. With the other, he grabbed Ladybug's hand and there the two of them stayed up for hours, talking and watching Paris in the dark. They didn't know how much they needed this moment, of finally finding out more about each other lives, until now. It was very nice to be able to talk without worrying about Hawk Moth.

…

 **December 25, 3 AM**

Ladybug already knew the time was coming. She and Chat were falling asleep, even though they both fought it. If they stayed like this, they wouldn't decide anything and their identities would be revealed without her knowing for sure that Chat wanted this. She wouldn't do that to him.

"I will give you one last gift, kitty," she said, interrupting him.

"You'll make me spoiled," he said, too curious to care for being interrupted.

"I want to know you. Completely. I'm tired of not knowing who you are behind the mask," Ladybug said.

Adrien felt his heart stop beating. It would finally happen - what he had waited so long for. Ironically, he felt freaked out suddenly.

"I admit that I'm scared. I think we don't know each other, but… I still think you're going to be disappointed," she said out loud, as if reading his thoughts.

"My lady, you could never disappoint me" he told her seriously. "With or without the mask, you're amazing. I don't like you just because you have powers or save other people. I like you because you're smart and kind. You are always ready to listen. Nothing is going to change just because you're without a mask," he promised and took her hand. "I'm the one who'll disappoint. I know it doesn't look this way, but I'm reserved and not always so confident or funny as myself. You bring those traits out of me," he said.

They stared at each other, unable to look away.

"My cat," she copied him tenderly, making him smile. "You know that I wouldn't be disappointed. I don't expect to you to be perfect behind this mask. I just want to know the face one of the most important people in my life. You have already saved me many times, you don't have to do anything more. And, even though you say you don't think you're fun, I never saw someone who could pun so cleverly, or someone who could annoy someone so quickly. Or somebody that could sacrifice themselves to what they think is right. This also won't go away without a mask."

"Okay, let's do this," he said, trying to sound confident. He felt his whole life was going to change.

"In the morning" she promised.

Afterwards, they talked a bit more, but they both were too anxious to keep a real conversation. In the end, Chat said he would sleep. Ladybug said she would too.

Feeling cold, she pulled the blanket that covered them more to herself. Chat Noir pulled back. She complained and grabbed it one more time. He pulled her close, solving the problem. Neither of them spoke anymore.

...

 **December 25, 9 AM**

Adrien rolled over on the ground, still semi unconscious. His body recognized that something was different, but not in a bad way. Actually, as he opened his eyes, Adrien realized he felt more rested than he had felt in a long time. Which was strange, when he lay on the cold ground and realized he hadn't slept at home. Confused, he thought about the previous evening and his eyes widened open. He had slept with Ladybug. The two of them were laying together, without masks.

One of Adrien's arm was still curled around the girl's belly. He stared at her messy hair pulled back into lopsided pigtails. Because of her position, he couldn't see anything yet. But if she turned around now, he would know who she was. He knew they had discussed it last night - or today? - but he still felt nervous. For so much time, he had wanted her to reveal who she was and let him show himself. But what if she regretted it? What if something went wrong? What would they do?

However, the desire of finally be able to love his lady completely was bigger. Now, he could know who she really was, talk about the things they liked to do, and could even hang out in public as normal people if she allowed it.

Hesitantly, Adrien moved his arm. He untangled himself from blanket and watched as the girl moved too, probably waking up with his shifting. She grunted, unhappy about the sudden lack of heat. Ladybug touched the place where his hand had been seconds ago, only to find emptiness.

With her back to her partner, Marinette opened her eyes and remembered bit by bit what was happening. Last night had been fantastic and one of the best of her life, she didn't regret lying to her parents to spend Christmas with Chat Noir, though she still felt guilty for the the lie. She felt relief and excitement for finally being able to tell someone who she was and discover who Chat Noir was, despite being nervous.

"Good morning, kitty," she said, still with her back turned to him.

"Good morning, my lady," he said and hesitantly moved closer to her again. He kissed the top of her hair. She closed her eyes, his touch reassuring her that she was doing the right thing. Then she opened it again, and turned to him.

Neither of them could keep the shock from their faces. They didn't know exactly what they hoped, but definitely neither had expected to recognize the face next to them. They knew that there was the possibility they knew each other, but never had expected that it would be this well. This was shocking.

For a few seconds, they just stared at each other, trying to understand what they were seeing.

"Adrien?" Marinette murmured, at the same time he said her name, as if he was confused.

"Are you Ladybug?" he asked, having a hard time believing it. All right, he liked Marinette and he could see some similarities between them, yet the differences were uncountable. His lady was unafraid; Marinette always seemed nervous.

"Are you Chat Noir?" she replied back, confused. Chat and Adrien were adorable, however in different ways. Adrien was the cutest person she had met, and a total gentleman. Chat was charming with his bold and direct way. Both were intelligent and kind, but…

"Yes, my lady," he answered, smiling. He still wasn't over the shock and didn't quite know what to say.

Marinette felt a shiver. It was so strange to hear Adrien calling her that, although the inflection sounded the same as it did when Chat Noir used the moniker – it was the same voice, same rhythm. Even the smirk was the same one. So different from Adrien's shy, reserved, smile.

"Are you disappointed?" he wondered, worried by her expression. Marinette looked confused and even hurt. She didn't seem even a bit excited. Could it be that she expected more? After all, Chat Noir was a bold superhero and him, well, he wasn't so brave usually.

She looked at him shocked and angry with the question. Thinking about the answer, she immediately knew it was a no. She was surprised, of course. But disappointed? Adrien was already one of the most amazing persons she had met. Knowing that he was Chat Noir just made him seem even more impressive and admirable. How could he think about even suggesting it?

"No, of course not, kitty," she said without thinking too much, blushing as realized that she called Adrien kitty. "You are one of the best people I know, Adrien. I'm glad it's you," she said. "But what about you?" she asked, feeling insecure. She knew that Chat Noir was in love with Ladybug, so he should have high expectations. And perhaps seeing her wouldn't have been a great revelation.

Adrien smiled in relief.

"I'm happy that you're Ladybug," he said. "Actually, this made my life easier," he confessed. She stared dumbly at him. "I always liked Ladybug and I still do, but over the past few months, I've been feeling torn. I started to notice that I was enjoying the time spent with you, Marinette. That confused me. I wanted to be with you, despite the fact that I still liked Ladybug. I wanted to be with you both and didn't know what to do. Finding out that you two are actually the same person, it's better than I could ever dream of, now I don't have to choose who I want more and can stop feeling like a terrible person for liking two people at the same time," he said honestly, watching with pleasure how she smiled.

"Are you serious?" she asked, seeking reassurance.

"Yes, Marinette, my lady. I want to be with you," he said confidently, evoking his Chat Noir's half. "I want to help you defeat Hawk Moth, I want continue to fight by your side, I want to see you at school, I want to go out with you after class, I want to take you to the movies, and see how you laugh during the film or hide your tears. I want Alya and Nino to know how crazy I am about you. I want you to beat me at every video game," he said, staring into her eyes. "Do you want this too?" he asked and waited anxiously for her answer. He had opened his heart; now it was up to her. Marinette nodded. He didn't waste a second before kissing her.

Marinette couldn't describe how happy she was, even if she had tried. How long she had dreaming about kissing Adrien? Feeling him there, kissing her so passionately, made her loose her ability to think straight. It was even better than yesterday. She putted her hands in his hair, feeling how it was smooth. He had his hand on her waist.

"Adrien…" she called. He looked at her, relaxed. "I like you as Chat Noir and as Adrien" she said. "Remember of that boy that I told you, when you were Chat, that I was in love with? It was you," she said.

Adrien smiled.

"I can't believe I spent so much time being jealous of myself" he said. "You were the girl from my school that I told you about, well, to Ladybug" he chuckled. "We're two idiots," he said after a few seconds.

"Yes, we are," she agreed and laughed. "But now come here…" she demanded.

He got closer and was surprised when the girl put her lips on his. He would never get sick of this. Je t'aime, he thought.

Tikki and Plagg watched on, silent and satisfied. Finally they were together.

...

 **December 26, 9 AM**

Alya looked at Marinette curious. Her friend had said that she had something to tell her when she arrived at school, but they hadn't the opportunity to talk until now. She looked happy. Alya asked herself if this had something with the thing she needed to do on Christmas. She also noticed how Adrien looked happier than usual too and couldn't stop smiling at Marinette, as if he was seeing something unbelievable.

"So, what's up?" she asked, when the two of them sat alone at a table. Today, they weren't hanging out with the boys - because of this mysterious talk.

"Please, don't freak out… But… Do you know the thing I needed to do yesterday?" Marinette asked. She and Adriend had planned what they would tell their friends - they couldn't simply share the whole truth of how they had come together as much as they might want to. "So, I went to see Adrien," and seeing her friend looked panicked, she continued. "Remember when he said his dad had cancelled the trip? Well, it was a lie. I knew he would have to spend Christmas alone and I offered to meet him. He didn't want at first, and it took some convincing. We were just talking at his house and he let slip that he liked me. I asked him if it was true. He declared himself to me and I to him. And… we got together," she finished excitedly. Maybe it wasn't the whole truth, but it was the closest that she could say and she felt happy sharing the news with her best friend.

Alya hugged her in joy. She had hoped for so long that Marinette and Adrien would get together and it had finally happened! Everything worked out alright in the end, despite their stupidity.

"How was it? What he said? What you said?" she asked, shooting one question after the other. And every answer, made her ask more.

As Marinette tried hard answer everything without revealing any secrets, she looked around and saw Adrien talking with Nino. Their eyes met and he smiled happily. He tugged his friend in their direction.

Marinette felt her heart beating faster. She got nervous suddenly and the sensation that everything was perfect vanished. What would she do now? How should she say hello? Did Nino already know? Was Adrien going to pretend nothing happened?

"Hi," she murmured when the two of them were close enough, making Alya shut up in the middle of a question.

Adrien didn't seem to be suffering from the same kind of nerves that she was, because he gave her a kiss on the cheek, close to her mouth. He smiled openly to her when he stepped away.

"Congratulations, Marinette," Nino commented. "I couldn't stand to wait anymore for you two to be together," this made Marinette blush and Adrien laugh.

"Speaking of this, do you want to go to the movies today?" the blonde asked eagerly.

"I would love to," Marinette replied, smiling.

...

 **December 26, 3 PM**

"Marinette!" her mother yelled. "Adrien is here!"

"I'm coming," she screamed back.

Marinette looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a white dress and a pair of trainers. She felt too simple, even if she knew Adrien probably didn't care about that - because he always saw her in the same clothes when she was Ladybug and fell for her anyway.

"I'm really alright, Alya?" she asked, feeling unsure.

"You are beautiful, Marinette," her friend said. She looked amused, having never seen the girl so agitated before. Every time she tried an outfit, she took it off immediately. Alya had the feeling that they had just gone through Marinette's entire closet. "As soon as you leave, I'm going home," she said. She couldn't just leave now. That would be too obvious that she was just helping out a desperate friend.

"You don't have to hurry," Marinette said, already running downstairs.

She found Adrien standing next to her mother. He was blushing a little, but seemed happy. He was also immensely handsome. He wore jeans and one of the shirts she had given to him.

"Wow, you're beautiful," he praised when he saw her. His look said that this was the truth. His Chat Noir's side was showing off in inconvenient moments. Even if he and Marinette had decided to date only yesterday, he felt such crazy desire to kiss her.

"Thank you," she said. "You're beautiful too," she commented, stopping near him. "Let's go?" she said.

"Thank you for keeping me company, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng" Adrien said, trying to act like the educated boy he was raised to be. She smiled to him.

Marinette felt a little bit calmer when she felt Adrien's hand reaching out to her. Together, they walked to the movies, with Adrien doing a hell of job controlling himself. They ended up deciding on a romantic comedy and he didn't let her pay the tickets. Marinette then, bought soda for them… and cheese for Plagg - since Adrien insisted that he wasn't hungry.

They sat in the room and Marinette was focused on watching the trailers. Or she was trying to.

"Mari," Adrien called, making her smile at the nickname. "I really tried to contain myself, but I can't anymore," he said, then pulled her into a kiss. The only thing the girl could complain about it was that he hadn't done this sooner.

Later, when asked about their date by their friends, they said that it had been great and that the film was good, in their opinion. It was just such a shame that neither of them could remember most of the scenes, to Alya and Nino's amusement.

 **THE END**


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